


The Superhero Girlfriends' Lunch Club

by DizzyDrea



Category: Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Coulson Lives, Don't Touch Lola, F/M, Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Lunch, Romance, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the CEO of a multinational technology corporation, an astrophysicist and the Special Assistant to the Director of SHIELD (and others) occasionally get together for lunch and complain about their boyfriends.</p><p>Featuring: Pepper/Tony, Maria/Steve, Jane/Thor, blink-and-you-miss-it Natasha/Bruce and are-they-or-aren't-they Clint/Phil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. July

**Author's Note:**

> I...have absolutely no idea where this came from. It just sounded like fun, like something I might want to be a fly on the wall to hear. It grew from just a couple of quick scenes to this, and I honestly have no idea why. Well, yes I do, but I don't want to spoil anything, so you'll just have to read it and find out. 
> 
> Disclaimer: The Avengers and all its particulars are the property of Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios, Joss Whedon, and a lot of other people who aren’t me. I am doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

Pepper Potts drops inelegantly into her chair, cell phone pressed tightly to her ear. "I know that's what you think I said—well, no, in point of fact, it isn't—do you really think that's what I meant?" She rolls her eyes at the other two occupants of the table.

Maria Hill snickers over the rim of her water glass. Jane Foster gives a pinched wince.

They each know, in their own way, what it's like to deal with men who think they're right, though perhaps Pepper knows better than the rest. Maria knows she doesn't have the world's lousiest boss, but there are days when she wonders. Not that she'd trade Nick Fury for Tony Stark. That way lays madness.

Besides, Steve Rogers has to be the kindest, most respectful gentleman the world's ever known. She hit the Powerball Lotto with him, and she knows it. And it's a blessing, too, because if she had to fight the kind of battles with him that Pepper fights with Tony on a regular basis, after spending the day fighting Fury, she'd have requested reassignment to Antarctica a long time ago.

Pepper sighs, ending the call and dropping the phone onto the table beside her plate. She looks balefully at the glass of water. "Um, no. I'm going to need something a little stronger than that."

She flags down the waiter and orders a martini—dirty, two olives.

"That bad?" Jane asks.

"If I thought working for him was bad, I never imagined that being his girlfriend and the CEO of his company would be a hundred times worse."

Maria raises an eyebrow. "I thought you loved Tony."

"God help me, I do," Pepper says, just as the waiter brings her drink. She holds her hand up, forestalling his exit, and promptly downs the entire thing, popping the olives into her mouth in one last flourish. "One more, please."

The waiter scurries away, empty glass in hand, a look of fright etched on his too-young face.

"It's just, when he gets an idea, it almost takes an act of God to talk him out of it," she says, rubbing at her temples. "I think the word 'stubborn' was invented to describe Tony Stark."

"I could provide the god, free of charge," Jane says. "If it'll help."

Pepper barks out a laugh, collapsing in her chair as the giggles take over. "Oh, sweetie," she says, reaching out and squeezing Jane's hand. "Anytime you want to lend him to me, I'll take it. Not that I think it'll help, but it'd be fun to watch."

~o~


	2. October

~o~

"So, what's he like in bed?"

Jane's spit take is so worth it.

It's fall now, and Manhattan is slowly rebuilding. Talk has turned from the invasion and the Avengers to what the hot new Christmas gift is. Pepper can't say she's sorry about that. If she thought Tony Stark was famous before Iron Man, it's a thousand times worse now.

"Oh, come on," she says, watching Jane's ears pink up. "It's not like they care what we talk about. Hell, Tony sex life has its own page in the New York Times."

Maria snickers. "So, what's _Tony_ like?"

Pepper rolls her eyes. "Like you don't already know. I've seen you hiding behind Page 6."

"I don't—"

Except she does, and Pepper knows it.

"I thought we weren't supposed to kiss and tell," Jane asks. 

"Hon," Pepper says, laying a hand on her friend's, "you think _they_ don't? Besides, I don't need details. Lord knows I get enough from Tony." She sees Jane's eyes go wide, and waves her off. "About his own past exploits, not yours."

"Isn't that a little crass?" Maria asks. "Telling you about his past girlfriends?"

"Not when I was there to escort the flavor of the evening out the door the next morning."

She says it so matter-of-factly that anyone listening would think she didn't care. And she doesn't—now. Back then… well, she'd have scratched any of their eyes out, given half a chance. But times change, and so has Tony, thankfully.

There's silence as they eat their lunch. Pepper's just waiting, wondering which of her lunch companions will be the first to break. Because, they're women, genetically predisposed to gossip—although she wouldn't call it that in a million years. 

"He's… enthusiastic," Jane finally says, cheeks pinking up. "So very enthusiastic."

Maria and Pepper share a look before both of them burst out laughing. Pepper says, still chuckling, "I might have known. Morning, noon and night?"

Jane's blush deepens. "Sometimes I think he's trying to make up for lost time or something. Like he thinks he won't be able to get back here, so he's trying to, I don't know, tattoo himself onto me. So I'll remember. Does that make sense at all?"

"Yeah," Pepper says softly.

And it does, oddly. These men fight battles against enemies that might just as well have come off the pages of a comic book, and there have been times that no one was sure if they'd come back. She shakes her head, trying to dispel the sense of melancholy that's descended over her.

She turns a bright smile to Maria, who shakes her head, raising her hands to ward off what she knows is coming. "Oh, no. I'm not telling."

"Come on, Maria," Jane says. "It can't be _that_ embarrassing. You're dating Captain America, for chrissakes."

Pepper knows Maria will never admit it, but she is blushing, just a bit. Theirs is the newest relationship of the three women at the table, and she knows that it wasn't an easy road getting there. Steve Rogers grew up in another time, and she knows he still feels adrift in the modern world. It makes her curious to know what kind of lover he'd be (but not so curious that she'd ask Tony, who probably knows chapter and verse; she's not a sadist, after all).

Maria sighs. "He's… sweet. Very… he wants to make sure I'm enjoying myself as much as he is." Her gaze turns from dreamy to wicked in a heartbeat, causing Pepper to gasp in a breath. "Definitely not as vanilla as I expected."

"Okay, sorry I asked," Jane says, her blush returning in force.

Pepper laughs. That's so not what she expected, but somehow exactly what it should be. "Good for you," she says genuinely.

"What about you?" Maria asks. "Is Tony like they say he is in the papers?"

Pepper goes thoughtful for a moment. She knows what they write about him on Page 6, but none of them knows the man beneath the playboy façade.

"He's… different now, than he was before," she finally says. "He knows who he is, doesn't feel like he has to impress anyone. It's… more real than I suspect it's ever been, for him."

It's not the answer she thought she'd give, and it would sound to an outsider like she's just talking about him and not their sex life, but that's okay. She knows these women understand, and that's all that matters. And she knows they'll keep this secret. Otherwise, she'd never live it down.

She picks up her glass and holds it aloft. "To mornings, nooners and all night long."

All three women laugh as they toast their men. 

~o~


	3. December

~o~

"Why am I here again?"

Clint Barton looks confused, which isn't apparently all that unusual for him.

"Because Happy had a dentist appointment, and leaving you in the car made me feel like I'd kicked a puppy," Pepper tells him.

Darcy Lewis snickers into her glass of water. It's the first time she's been to one of these lunches; after the way Jane had talked about them, she had to see it for herself. Of course it wasn't just coincidence that she'd chosen to do her Christmas shopping in the same store as the rest of them. She's just surprised it worked.

"Who names their chauffer 'Happy', anyway?"

Natasha reaches out and smacks him on the back of the head. Darcy snickers again, thankful that no one is paying her any attention. At this rate, she'll have enough good gossip to write a book. Although, the thought of revealing anything related to Natasha Romanov sends a shiver down her spine. The woman in question gives her a knowing look, making Darcy want to hide under the table.

"So, what did you end up getting for Tony this year?" Maria asks.

Darcy's curious, too. Tony's one of those men who literally buys himself whatever he wants, so he's not exactly easy to buy for. Pepper probably got him a new dildo; she'd pay good money to see his face when he opened that gift.

There's silence at the table, and when she looks up, everyone's staring at her. "Did I say that out loud?"

Pepper chuckles. "Knowing Tony, he'd take it apart and try to 'improve' it."

"Or install JARVIS in it," Natasha mutters.

Clint's spit take is priceless.

"Will Thor be joining us?" Pepper asks as Clint attempts damage control.

Jane rolls her eyes. "Oh yeah. He says he must partake in 'this pagan winter ritual of Midgard'. I still can't get him to just say Merry Christmas."

"Well, if he wants Christmas, the Tower is the place to be," Pepper says. "Tony's really going overboard this year. I think he found every tacky Christmas decoration in the Tri-State area and put it up."

"Steve says it reminds him of Christmases growing up," Maria says. "I never knew the 1940's were so tacky."

"No, just the 1940's Tony Stark style," Pepper says.

Their lunches arrive, and talk turns to the menu for dinner at the Tower on Christmas Day.

"Ham, turkey, three kinds of stuffing, green bean casserole, you name it, Tony's ordered it," Pepper says. "I'm not sure who he thinks he's feeding. The 10th Mountain Division, maybe."

"Don't forget, Steve and Thor can pack it away," Maria says, pointing her fork at Pepper. "I watched Steve eat three hamburgers in one sitting, and that was just a snack."

"And Doctor Banner tends to have a huge appetite, because of the Other Guy," Natasha says.

Everyone looks at her, and for a moment, Darcy's confused as to why.

"Really?" Pepper says. "You're still calling him 'Doctor Banner'?"

"What else would I call him?" Natasha asks. Her expression is practiced non-chalance, but even Darcy can see her bristle slightly.

"Sweetheart," Pepper says.

"Darling," Jane offers.

"Honey-kins."

Natasha reaches out and smacks Clint on the back of the head again. Clint rubs at the spot, glaring at her, though there's no heat behind it, and now that she's looking, Darcy can see the smile Natasha's trying to hide.

"You guys should get t-shirts with your boyfriends' logos on them," Darcy says, suddenly hit with the idea. "Wear them on Christmas morning."

Maria laughs. "Steve would probably turn ten shades of red."

"Thor wouldn't get it," Jane says. "Not that that's such a bad thing."

"And Tony would gloat all morning," Pepper says, rolling her eyes.

"What would Clint wear, though?" Darcy asks. "I mean, it's not like his boyfriend has a costume."

If it's possible, this spit-take is better than Clint's last. Now, not only is he drenched, but Maria is brushing water off her sleeve from across the table.

Natasha pats him on the back, trying and failing to hold back a giggle. It is both fascinating and frightening to watch.

"Was that supposed to be a secret or something?" Darcy asks, frowning.

Because she'd thought it was glaringly obvious that there was more than just friendship there. A quick glance around the table tells her she might be the only one after all.

"It's okay, sweetie," Pepper says, patting his hand. "I'm sure he doesn't mind."

Clint just waves his hand, still trying to get over practically choking to death.

"Well," Maria says, "I will say this: this group is never boring."

There's laughter all around, and Darcy relaxes just a bit. This is the most fun she's had in a while, which is sad but not surprising considering her life since Thor arrived. As they wrap up lunch, she starts thinking up ways to get invited back. 

(Later, Jane emails Darcy a picture taken on Christmas morning, of the Avengers and their significant others. All of the girlfriends are wearing t-shirts representing their men, and yes, Tony does indeed look smug. Bruce looks amused at the Hulk t-shirt Natasha's wearing, and Steve simply looks besotted. Thor's enthusiasm comes through loud and clear, even though Jane explains in the email that he's still clueless about the whole t-shirt thing. And Clint's smirking as he stands next to Agent Coulson—with an arm slung over his shoulders—wearing a t-shirt with a suit and tie on it. Darcy's pretty sure they’re just messing with her. Mostly.)

~o~


	4. February

~o~

"Maybe someone can explain something to me."

Both Pepper and Maria look up from their salads, identical expressions on their faces. It's February, nearly Valentine's Day, and romance is definitely in the air. Or in the Hallmark store, as the case may be.

Jane's been in Norway for a week, wrapping up her research project as she prepares to relocate to Manhattan permanently. It's long overdue, and something she's actually looking forward to. New York is where Thor is, when he's on Earth, so she's finally decided that this is where she needs to be, too.

Thinking about all that though, and making plans, has brought up an interesting question.

"Are you going to ask, or just sit there looking dreamy?" Maria asks with a smirk.

Jane smirks back. "No, it's just—do you ever wonder why it seems like everyone on the team has paired up? I mean, there's you and Tony," she says, waving her hand at Pepper, "and you and Steve. And Bruce and Natasha seem to be getting cozier lately."

"And there's you and Thor," Pepper says, pointing her fork at her.

"As if any of us could forget," Maria mumbles into her salad. Her head pops up, chagrin writ large on her face. "Sorry. It's just, when you're not there, he tends to wax poetic about his 'Fair Jane'. A lot."

Jane can feel the flash of a hot blush steal over her face. "I'm sure he's not that bad."

"Oh, but he is," Pepper says. "But it's almost… cute. He's so smitten. The god brought low by the mere mortal. Entire epics have been written about this. Who knows? Maybe he'll write one about you."

"Please, anything but that," Jane says, pressing her hands to her cheeks. She sighs and goes back to eating her lunch. "My question still stands, though. Why does it seem like we're doing the Noah's Ark thing?"

Pepper leans back and sips at her iced tea. "Well, I don't know about the rest, but I know Tony's grown up a lot in the last year. With everything that's happened to him… well, let's just say he's learned that taking responsibility isn't such a bad thing. Maybe part of the maturity process is finding someone you can share it with. All of it."

"I think maybe some of it comes from being such a tight-knit team," Maria says. "Our issues may not be the same, but we understand who and what we each are. We're close because we have to be, in order for this thing between SHIELD and the Avengers to work. And you all live together now, so there's that."

Pepper rolls her eyes. "And don't think I didn't try to talk Tony out of that. It's like he couldn't stand the family he was born into, so he picked a new one."

"I thought he said there was all this unused space at the top of the Tower," Jane says. "At least, that's what Phil told me."

"Stark Industries was never going to be able to fill the whole tower before he—before we refocused on technology and green initiatives. Now?" Pepper shrugs. "Tony's got a workshop that's five times the size of the one in Malibu, Clint has a range that's the envy of everyone in SHIELD and the gym's better than Gold's."

"She's right," Maria says. "Steve loves it down there."

"The point is," Pepper says, leaning forward, "that he's making space for these people in his life. And, in turn, they're making space for him. And each other. Maybe it was inevitable, or maybe it's everyone working really hard at being normal. Whatever the reason, it's nice to see everyone happy."

"For however long it lasts," Maria says, frowning into her water glass.

Pepper raises an eyebrow. "I never figured you for the 'glass half empty' type."

"About Steve? No," Maria says, shaking her head. "He's a keeper, and I know it. But the rest? Things staying quiet and no supervillains causing trouble? It's like they know our address now, and they're just spoiling for a fight."

"But at the end of the day, we have each other to come home to," Jane says. "That's worth a lot in my book."

"As long as they come home, yes," Pepper says. "At least Tony's moved past his self-destructive phase. God, am I glad he's over that."

"Now he just lets the bad guys do the destroying," Maria says. "I just wish he wasn't so good at it. I swear Fury's going to send him the bill the next time someone smashes up half of Manhattan."

"Like Tony didn't pitch in and help rebuild the city after the last time," Pepper says, smirking.

Maria smirks back. "Don't tell Fury that. It'll ruin the hate/hate thing they have going on."

"What Director Fury needs is to get laid."

Pepper and Maria stare at Jane as if she's grown another head.

"Did I say that out loud?" she asks, feeling another blush spread over her cheeks.

Maria huffs out a laugh. "Maybe we should set him up with Darcy. She's tough and sassy; she should be able to keep him in line for more than five minutes."

Pepper and Jane dissolve into peals of laughter. It's Pepper who recovers first. "I'd love to see their first date. The way she talks a mile a minute, he'd never know what hit him."

"Well, it is Valentine's Day coming up," Maria says. "I suppose even Fury should have a Valentine."

The conversation turns to everyone's plans for the holiday, and Jane sits back to take it all in. Being involved with Thor has brought these two remarkable women into her world, and if that's the result of the team getting closer then she'll take it. She's never had female friends like this before, not even in college, and she finds herself enjoying every minute of it.

Well, maybe not matchmaking Fury, but everything else.

~o~


	5. April

~o~

Tony flops into the empty chair, affecting an elegant sprawl. The three women at the table each share a raised-eyebrow look before they turn as one to the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist who's decided to crash their party.

"Tony, what part of 'girls' lunch' didn't you understand?" Pepper asks archly.

Tony nudges his sunglasses down his nose, cringing at the glare Pepper is shooting him. Natasha would feel sorry for him, except that Tony Stark has a unique knack for pissing off the wrong people. In this case, his girlfriend.

"What, I can't just stop by and catch up on all the latest gossip?" he asks. "You know, you've been awfully mysterious about these lunches. Exactly what is it you girls get up to, anyway?" Pepper levels her most unimpressed glare at him. He sighs, stating what he seems to think is the obvious. "I'm hiding out."

"What'd you do, set Fury's eyepatch on fire?" Maria asks, snickering. 

It's something he's been threatening to do off and on for months, but they all know he'd never do it. Then again, Tony is decidedly unconcerned about the consequences of any action he takes. It must be nice, being able to buy your way out of trouble, Natasha thinks with a sigh.

"Nothing quite so banal," Tony says. He sits up a little straighter, dumping the sunglasses on the table as his eyes light up. "That's a Junior High-level prank. No, this is so much better."

And Natasha can see the little boy inside the man practically jumping up and down. It's… cute. Disturbing, but cute.

"And did Agent Coulson share your enthusiasm?" Pepper asks, like she already knows the answer.

Tony sighs, flopping back in his chair. The air of defeat appears almost as suddenly as the little-boy enthusiasm of a moment ago.

"What did you do, Tony?" Natasha asks, eyes narrowing.

"It needed a stereo," he mumbles, and suddenly, Natasha knows exactly what he's talking about.

"Tell me you didn't do anything to Lola."

Maria frowns. "Who's Lola?"

"Lola," Natasha says, holding her glare on Tony for a microsecond longer than she needs to, just to make him squirm. He does, and she smirks in satisfaction. She turns to Maria. "Lola is Coulson's car. His vintage Corvette."

Maria's eyes shoot to Tony, now slouched in his seat. "You messed with Phil's car? Do you have a death wish?"

"I didn't mess with it," Tony insists, sitting up once more. "I _improved_ it."

Pepper snorts. "You just keep telling yourself that, Tony."

"You'd think a man who owns as many cars as he does would recognize the sanctity of another man's car," Maria says.

"It didn't have a radio!" Tony exclaims. "What kind of vintage car doesn't even have a radio?"

"The kind Coulson drives," Natasha says.

"And anyway," Tony goes on, as if she hadn't even spoken, "I didn't just put any old radio in there. This one's special."

Natasha frowns. Special to Tony could mean anything, so she naturally a little concerned. "What do you mean, 'special'?"

"I mean vintage," Tony says. There's no missing the smug turn of his lips. 

If he's actually being serious and he'd found a vintage Corvette radio to go in Coulson's car, then maybe this isn't the disaster she'd expected it to be. But this is Tony; he'd probably find a way to make Easter a disaster if he tried hard enough.

"You actually went out and found a vintage radio for his car?" 

Maria's skepticism is shining through, and Natasha smiles approvingly. They've always gotten along, she and the Director's Special Assistant. They're of like minds, and anyone who views the world with that much suspicion is automatically good in her book.

"Yes, I did." He pauses, then tilts his head. "Well, no, technically _I_ didn't. But I did have JARVIS source one."

Huh. So maybe Tony's not as much of an idiot as he looks, and Coulson will be mad for five minutes before he gets over it and appreciates the gift.

"And did it stay vintage, Tony?" Pepper asks pointedly.

The wicked gleam in Tony's eyes makes Natasha nervous. She's seen that gleam before, and it usually precedes something blowing up. And not necessarily on purpose, either.

"Of course not," he says. "I added wireless and internet radio. He can stream Pandora on that thing if he wants to. Or The Nerdist. Whatever blows his skirt up. Figuratively speaking, of course."

Natasha has a sneaking suspicion she knows exactly what Tony did that has Coulson up in arms. She glances at Maria, then at Pepper, and her suspicions are confirmed.

"Tony, tell me you didn't install JARVIS in Coulson's car."

She knows it's a futile hope, but she'll cling to it up until the moment he bursts her bubble. Which happens about a second and a half after the words leave her mouth. In the form of Tony's triumphant smirk.

It's no wonder Coulson's not happy.

Natasha glares at Tony, but for once it seems to have no effect.

"I'm surprised you're still walking around," she says, shaking her head. "Coulson must be slipping."

"Oh, it's no thanks to Tony, I assure you," Pepper says. "Phil likes me. I had to beg him, and let me tell you how humiliating _that_ was."

"So, what's your penance, Tony?" Maria asks. "Garbage duty at HQ? Directing traffic on the helicarrier's flight deck in full Iron Man armor?"

"PR appearances," Pepper says with glee. "At various schools around the city. As Iron Man."

Tony grimaces, and Natasha feels an amused smile curve her lips, followed by a dry chuckle. The others at the table stare at her in stunned silence, but she can't be bothered to care. Her reputation will survive, she's sure of it.

"Oh, thank you, Tony," she says eventually, letting her smile drift into her usual smirk. "I haven't heard anything that funny in ages."

Tony mumbles a confused and possibly frightened _you're welcome_.

He eventually flags down the waiter and orders a ridiculously expensive lunch and a bottle of equally overpriced champagne for the table, but he redeems himself by paying for the whole lunch with his black AmEx. Natasha wishes that Jane had been here to see this. She thinks the astrophysicist would have enjoyed the show. 

As it is, she's going to take an extra measure of joy in telling the story to Clint later. She can just imagine the look on his face.

And then, if she can swing it, she's going to try to get Coulson to take her for a spin in Lola. She knows Tony's not joking, but sometimes seeing really is believing. 

And she really wants to tease Coulson about Lola having a new boyfriend.

~o~


	6. May

~o~

They're sitting around a table at Recurve, one of the many new restaurants that popped up in and around downtown in the aftermath of the Battle for Manhattan, having dinner instead of lunch for a change.

For once, they're all together, Tony and Pepper, Thor and Jane, Steve and Maria, Natasha and Bruce. Clint. Darcy, who'd practically begged, even when she hadn't had to because her position as Phil's assistant makes her an honorary Avenger, though she doesn't know it. Even Phil has come with them, though it took a lot of convincing by nearly every member of the Avengers. 

Clint's expression has cycled from awe to embarrassment to genuine pride throughout the evening, much to the amusement of everyone at the table. The restaurant itself is understated elegance, with leather and metal and wood in abundance, but it's the wall decorations that seem to be the focus. Nearly every wall has pictures of famous archers from popular culture, as well as an impressive collection of bows and arrows, mostly antique and in remarkable condition. It's an obvious tribute to the World's Greatest Marksman, who just happens to be sitting in their midst, and who's picture graces one of the walls near the entrance. 

Maria knows Tony picked this place on purpose, and in some small corner of her mind, she's just as amused by it all as he is. Not that she'll admit that, of course, but Clint deserves the accolades as much as the rest, and she's glad to see he's getting his due.

It's the anniversary of Earth's greatest victory, and Tony insisted that they needed to be seen out on the town, celebrating the victory and toasting the memory of those who died so that others might live. Maria might not like Tony all the time—he can be a colossal ass when he wants to be, and most of the time, he wants to be—but he's right about this.

They've barely had time to eat, much less enjoy each others' company due to the various people stopping by their table, either on the way to dinner or on their way out. Everyone that's stopped by their table has been gracious and kind, expressing gratitude and occasionally asking for autographs. It's been evenly divided among the members of the team, which amuses Maria. Tony doesn't even seem all that bothered that there have been people asking for Hawkeye's autograph just as much as Iron Man's (even if he did leave the suit at home, per Pepper's instructions).

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Steve whispers in her ear as she watches a sweet young girl, maybe seven or eight, shyly smiling as Natasha autographs something for her.

Maria's gaze flicks to each member of the team, their faces relaxed and smiling, chatting among themselves or with their visitors. It's surreal that she's even here, but she is, and she's actually having fun, despite the fact that she's viscerally allergic to the spotlight.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Care to share?"

His question is soft, and when she turns to look at him, his gaze is fond. Her heart melts, just a little more, and she finds herself even more grateful than usual that they found their way to each other.

"It's just—this," she sweeps her hand out, taking in the room, people staring, others coming and going, the team sharing laughs and camaraderie, "is incredible. I never thought it would be like this."

"Didn't think the Initiative would work, did you?" he asks. There's no recrimination in his voice, just a sweet curiosity that she's come to expect from him.

"Honestly? No, I didn't," she says. "I thought Fury and Phil were nuts for even trying. But look at them all. It _shouldn't_ work, but it does. Why is that?"

"Maybe because, for once, this isn't about us," Steve says thoughtfully, like he's given this a lot of thought. "It works because every time we go out, we're not doing it for ourselves. We're doing it for them."

She casts her eyes around the room once more, looking at the _them_ he's talking about. They're just average folks. Some are dressed in designer clothes, appearing quite at home in this upscale restaurant. Some are dressed in their finest Sunday-Go-To-Meeting clothes, as if tonight is a splurge. But they all have one thing in common: they all live here, and every time someone threatens this place, the Avengers assemble and save the day. For them.

Then her gaze catches Phil, sitting with Natasha and Clint. His whole being is relaxed, his eyes glowing with some private joy that they aren't privy to. She remembers Fury telling them all that he'd gone down; she remembers the quiet devastation on Steve's face at those words. He hadn't known Phil long, but she could see how much he was honored to have Phil's respect and admiration. 

The news of his death had the desired effect, as Fury had known it would. He was the first person they fought for, and he'll always be the most important because they look at him as one of them. When Fury finally revealed his deception—that the Life Model Decoys weren't just ready for deployment, but that they'd already been field-tested, by Phil no less—well, they were angry as she knew Fury had expected. 

What she hadn't expected was that they'd adopt Phil, and then herself, into their crazy band of misfits. 

But she's honored that they have, just as Phil is. If she'd been told, a year ago, that tonight she'd be sharing a table with Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers, as one of them, she'd have said that was a statistical impossibility. Now? She knows that these people are the real deal, heroes of the first order. 

But more importantly, they're her friends.

"I think I've lost you."

Maria smiles at Steve, then leans in and kisses him softly. "Never," she says with all the conviction she can muster.

Steve's eyes glow with pride, and she once again counts herself the luckiest woman alive. Captain America loves her; how much better can life get?

"I would like to propose a toast," Tony says, standing up and lifting his glass of expensive champagne in the air. The room goes quiet, as if everyone wants to join in. Everyone at their table picks up their glasses and waits expectantly. Tony clears his throat, as if he hadn't expected the eyes of half of Manhattan on him at that moment. Then, he flashes his trademark smile and raises his voice. "Here's to our waiter, Tommy, and to Chef Daniel in the back, and to Eva, our hostess for the evening. Here's to Millie and her husband, in the back corner—" and here he waves at them, turning Millie into a giggling high-schooler despite the fact that she's old enough to be Tony's mother "—and to Burt and Claire over there in the front, and to the Andersons at the next table. Here's to all of you here tonight, and to everyone in Manhattan. You are the reason we do what we do, and it is our pleasure to serve you. Thank you for all you do to make this the place we call home. We will never forget you."

Tony tosses back his drink and then sits down. Maria looks around in stunned silence. The room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop on the street two blocks away. And then suddenly, it erupts into thundering applause. People are on their feet, clapping and whistling and yelling and cheering. Tony's smile has gone bashful, and Pepper is dabbing away tears of pride. 

Finally, the applause dies out and the room goes back to business as usual, which is to say that people continue to stop by their table and chat or take pictures or ask for an autograph. Except now, there's a quiet rumble through the room, as word of what Tony said is passed on to newcomers who didn't see it firsthand. She'd think Tony had an ulterior—read: PR related—motive, except that he seems genuinely baffled by the excitement his words have caused. She wouldn't have thought he had it in him, except that she's gotten to know him over the last year, so she knows better. At his heart, Tony is just as patriotic as the next man, and holds life just as sacred as—perhaps moreso than—the next man.

When he looks her way, she winks at him, raising her glass in congratulations. He smiles, but it's abashed instead of the brash smirk he usually wears. She finds herself actually proud of him. Not that she'll tell him that. No need to stroke his ego any more than it has already been.

She notices Steve moving out of the corner of her eye, and sees him holding up his glass. He isn't standing, and that's probably a wise move if he's not planning to toast the entire room like Tony did.

"I would like to propose a toast to the women we love," he says. Everyone raises a glass. "They love us, patch us up when we get hurt, comfort us when we can't save everyone. They are incomparable, and we would be nothing without them."

A round of _here, here_ murmurs around the table. Maria sees Pepper kissing Tony (much more chastely than he's trying to kiss her, she notices), and Natasha sporting a blush when Bruce, Phil and Clint each peck her on the cheek. Then Phil leans over and pecks Darcy's cheek, and the woman in question blushes, something she wasn't sure she'd ever live to see. Thor has pulled Jane up into his lap; her cheeks are flaming, but she isn't moving and Maria can't fault her for that. Steve leans over and tips Maria's chin up, kissing her softly on the lips.

"Thank you," she says quietly.

"It's nothing more than you deserve," he says. 

Conversation resumes around them, and Maria just sits back to enjoy it all for a moment. Their lives have changed in ways none of them expected, but this is by far the best part. She catches the eye of each of her new friends—Pepper, Jane, Natasha—seeing the strong women she's come to know and love, acknowledging the friendship that's grown between them as a result of their involvement with the Avengers. 

It's something she'd never expected to have, friends like these; strong, unwavering women who are each easily as powerful—in their own ways—as the men they love. And she realizes that, at the end of that day, _that's_ something worth fighting for.

~Finis

**Author's Note:**

> I have officially fallen in love with Lola, so obviously I had to include her in this story. I checked with my Dad, and yes, Lola is indeed an early 1960's Chevy Corvette C1. She's beautiful, and so much not what I expected Phil to drive, but at the same time, absolutely perfect for him. Also, as _Coulson Lives_ is now canon, that had to go in here as well. And the t-shirt idea absolutely cracked me up, so there was no way I wasn't writing about it.


End file.
